Jesus teaches a new way
18 At this time, the disciples of John the Baptist and the disciples of the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came to Jesus and they asked him this question: ‘The disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees often fast for a time. So why do your disciples never do that?’
19 Jesus answered them, ‘When a man marries, his friends cannot refuse to eat. They cannot fast while he is with them. 20 But there will be a time when people will take the man away from his friends. At that time his friends will fast.’
2:20Jesus often told stories to teach people. While Jesus was with his disciples, they would be happy, so they would not fast. But soon his enemies would take him away. Then his disciples would be sad.
21 Then Jesus said, ‘Nobody uses a piece of new cloth to mend an old coat. If he does, the new cloth will cause the old cloth to tear again. It will make a bigger hole than before. 22 And nobody pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does that, the new wine will tear the old wineskins. He will lose the wine and the wineskins will be useless. Instead, you must put new wine into new wineskins.’
2:22The old wineskins were like the old Jewish rules. The new wine was like the things that Jesus was now teaching. Jesus' teaching needed a new way of thinking.
